Lodge Dawn No. 511 - History

W. Bro Peter Hulme and V.W Bro Bruce Steenson

One night while in the South (Masonic diner) Peter had this story to share with all of us and the resultant conversation unveiled some long lost ties of family 1000`s of kilometers away...and the story goes like this

"What Goes around comes around"

A past Master of Lodge Dawn, WBro Peter Hulme, had a very special story to tell about how he joined masonry, being a fifth generation Freemason.

Peter joined Lodge Hume in Holbrook because his dad VWBro Lewis Hulme was a mason. While visiting other lodges with his dad he asked him why he had joined the freemasons.

This was his dads, ie Lewis’s story.

He told Peter that Peter’s granddad went to war and was killed in action in Europe during the First World War. That was when Peter’s father was only one year old.

Peter’s grandmother as a war widow brought his dad up as best she could, they were extremely poor, so he enlisted (like his dad) and went to the Second World War. At the end of the war when he was discharged, he went home to Holbrook and obtained work at a local farm for five bob a day, (50cents). He had just enough money to buy a dilapidated AJS motorbike, which enabled him to get to and from work.

While he was walking down the street one day, in his working clothes (His army uniform) he noticed, outside the local menswear shop, a sign advertising the coming ball. It happened Just then that the owner came out and said “Son! You will never get a girl dressed in those clothes, come in the shop and a pick yourself a suit”. Of course Lewis prevaricated and said NO, no way could he afford one on his wages.

“PAY ME WHAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU CAN!” was the reply.

So in he went and was fitted out. Of course he did well at the ball and won the heart of a young girl.

Many months later when he went in to pay off some of his debt, the owner of the menswear shop said, “Son! You will get yourself killed on that Motorbike, Go get yourself across to NACE CAIN’S SERVICE STATION, he has just the right car just for you.”

So he went across to THE Service Station and was shown a black Ford Prefect, again he prevaricated and said “NO WAY! I will never afford that car on my wages”.

“PAY MY WHAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU CAN!” was the answer.

So now he had a car and a girl friend (Peter”s mum), who accompanied him as he went in to pay the final amount on his suit. He couldn’t understand why these strangers were so helpful……..so out of curiosity he asked him why they were so generous to a complete stranger.

The answer was simple…..”WE ARE FREEMASONS AND YOUR DAD WAS A MASON”. Evidently Peter’s granddad was also a mason.

So of course Peter’s dad then joined Lodge Hume in Holbrook only to find that he was the 4th generation “Hulme” to become a member of Lodge Hume,

This story doesn’t end here…

As a TAFE teacher Peter Hulme was transferred to Kingsciff where he taught Computers. One evening he spoke to one of his students and said “ Mike you should come to my class on Wednesday night and learn how to do a Webpage”.

“Sorry Mr Hulme” was the reply “I have lodge on Wednesdays”.

So that is how Peter accompanied W Bro Mike Zuschke to Lodge Dawn where he affiliated and continues membership.

This story doesn’t end here either…

Sitting in the south one night Peter just happened to be sitting next to a very prominent gentleman, namely VWBro Bruce Steenson, who asked:

“Where did you say you came from Peter?”

“Holbrook” exclaimed Peter.

“My, my” says Bruce. “My dad used to own the Menswear shop in Holbrook………….” It just happens that Bruce’s dad ( WBro Leslie William Steenson ) was the Worshipful Master in Lodge Hume in 1938, and he was just the man who had looked after Peter’s dad.

This story doesn’t quite end here either…

Peter went home to Holbrook on holidays and spoke to his Auntie who remembers Bruce and his twin sister (Beryle) very fondly. She tells that when she was a little girl the big kids always included her in their big kids games, and she never ever felt left out. It seems that Bruce had expressed the virtues of freemasonry even when he was a young boy.